Role Description:About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.Role Overview:The Senior Localisation Specialist delivers the best user experience for the Japanese market by ensuring high-quality, accurate, and locally relevant localisation of Booking.com and its sister companies’ content, adhering to both brand and internal language requirements. They are responsible for managing language assets, maintaining quality standards, and leveraging advanced translation management tools to train and assess internal and external linguists. This role drives continuous quality improvements by providing local market insights, consultancy, and leading initiatives like competitor analysis, user research, and experimentation. The Senior Localisation Specialist is involved throughout the localisation process, identifies areas for improvement, and puts forward new initiatives to enhance content quality. They coordinate language asset creation and training resources, support the successful execution of localisation projects, and collaborate closely with the Quality Management team to contribute to both regional and global quality initiatives.Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:Own and ensure accountability for the quality, cultural relevance, and brand compliance of all Japanese translations produced by internal and external linguists, supporting the success of global strategies in the local market.Develop, manage, and maintain internal language resources and Japanese guidelines (including term bases, glossaries, translation memories, and style guides) for use by all linguists.Conduct regular quality assessments along the entire content creation journey, from initial briefs to final localized copy, using feedback and established frameworks to drive continuous improvement.Deliver training, coaching, and performance feedback to internal linguists, external vendors, and freelancers to maintain and enhance localized content quality in Japanese.Monitor translation quality metrics, perform root cause analysis on issues, and implement improvements by providing clear guidance, documentation, and actionable feedback.Act as a proactive Localisation consultant, applying market and language insights to drive relevance and impact for Japanese content, while collaborating closely with key business stakeholders.Lead or support market research initiatives, competitor analysis, AB testing, and quality process optimization, identifying opportunities to enhance Localisation strategy and applying best practices within the team.Qualifications & Skills:Bachelor’s degree in Language, Translation, or a related field. In order to manage the Japanese asset, proficiency in Japanese is a must.At least 5 years of experience in the localisation industry, including translation, transcreation, audiovisual translation, and/or quality management of localized copy for the Japanese market.Demonstrated expertise in quality management processes such as linguistic QA, translation review, editing, and providing constructive feedback to internal and external linguists.Strong background in terminology management, translation management software, and machine translation post-editing specific to Japanese.Proven analytical skills to interpret quality data and market insights, supporting ongoing quality improvement in localized content.Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and networking abilities, with a proactive approach to coaching, feedback, and collaboration both independently and within a team.Solid understanding of internationalization, SEO, e-commerce, UX, and marketing Localisation; prior experience as a Senior Localisation Specialist, Quality Manager, or in e-commerce/marketing Localisation is a plus.Manage relationships with global vendors to ensure seamless collaboration and high-quality service delivery. Proficiency in Japanese is required to effectively oversee quality standards and support Localisation initiatives for the Japanese market.Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive , as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leaveHybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet creditInclusion at Booking.com:Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just create a unique workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”Read all about Inclusion and the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at Booking.comApplication Process:Let’s go places together:This role does not come with relocation assistance.Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.
